The LCS has gotten its feet wet in patrols near the Spratly Islands, with an as-expected Chinese remora in what the Navy terms is “The New Normal” as four of the ships will be based at Singapore manned under a 3-2-1 concept that sees three rotational crews supporting two LCS ships, one of which is deployed.
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts routine patrols on Monday in international waters near the Spratly Islands as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) guided-missile frigate Yancheng (FFG 546) sails close behind (the dot on the horizon)– click to big up. U.S. Navy/MC2 Conor Minto
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts routine patrols on Monday in international waters near the Spratly Islands as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) guided-missile frigate Yancheng (FFG 546) sails close behind – click to big up. U.S. Navy/MC2 Conor Minto
“As part of our strategic rebalance to bring our newest and most capable Navy platforms to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, LCS now has a regular presence in Southeast Asia,” said Capt. Fred Kacher, commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7. “Routine operations like the one Fort Worth just completed in the South China Sea will be the new normal as we welcome four LCSs to the region in the coming years. Deployment of multiple LCSs to Southeast Asia underscores the importance of this ‘region on the rise’ and the value persistent presence brings.”
Fort Worth encountered multiple People’s Liberation Army–Navy [PLA(N)] warships, each time taking the opportunity to use the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).
“Just like our first meeting in February with a PLA(N) warship, guided-missile frigate Hengshui (FFG 572), our interactions with Chinese ships continue to be professional and CUES helps clarify intentions and prevent miscommunication,” said Cmdr. Matt Kawas, Fort Worth Crew 103 commanding officer.
The Yancheng is a Type 054A (NATO codename Jiangkai II) type frigate, a 4000-ton craft with 32 VLS surface to air missiles, 8 C-803 anti-ship missiles, and a 76mm gun. It can make 27-knots and has been something of a showcase boat for the Chinese, last year conducting anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and later escorting Syrian chemical weapons destined for destruction.
Fort Worth is a 3900-ton a Freedom-class littoral combat ship capable of breaking 45 knots but only armed with a 57mm gun, a RAM launcher and some smaller gun mounts.
While its understandable that the PLAN would be stretching its legs in the South China Sea, they are also sowing their oats in such far-flung and traditional U.S. Navy/Royal Navy haunts as the Mediterranean, where the frigates Linyi and Weifang left the Black Sea along with a Russian Navy guided missile corvette to begin the first ever round of Chinese and Russian naval exercises in that ancient sea.
